Middle Fork Complex Fire Update

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

 Red Flag Warning This Afternoon; Extreme Weather Likely 

The Middle Fork Complex is 61,159 acres, with 352 acres of growth per last night’s infrared flight, with 30% completion. There are currently 653 personnel assigned to these fires, including 18 hand crews, 26 engines, and 4 helicopters. A Red Flag Warning is in effect this afternoon due to scattered thunderstorms over dry fuels. Showers and thunderstorms may develop as early as the morning, with multiple rounds possible through evening. Hail and winds gusting up to 60 mph are possible across the area. Debris flows and flash flooding are also possible under the strongest thunderstorms or where multiple thunderstorms pass over the same area, especially on steep slopes with high burn severity. Temperatures will be cooler with highs reaching the 60s to mid-70s, and relative humidity reaching 40% under mostly cloudy skies. Rain showers will increase overnight, with high chances of rain on much of the fire. 

Yesterday, conditions were favorable for starting a strategic burnout along the Scott Mountain ridgeline. A crew used an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for aerial ignition on the Bulldog Fire to slowly back the fire down the Scott Mountain ridge with low severity fire, to help avoid fast moving upslope fire runs in that area and help limit fire spread to the south. The burnout operations was approximately 250 acres. 

Crews continue to hold the fire east of the Middle Fork corridor, holding and patrolling Road 698. Crews continue using heavy equipment and handline to strengthen contingency fireline northwest of Road 671 and fuel mitigation around Boiling Springs and the Silver Creek Lookout in anticipation of Goat Fire movement south. 

Crews continue patrolling the indirect fireline from the Nellie Fire to the southwest corner of the Bulldog Fire.  Crews continue to patrol the southwest side of the Nellie Fire and the Highway 17 corridor. Highway 17 road repair work continues. Crews are strengthening the contingency fireline along Road 555 from the junction with Road 579 towards Deadwood Outfitters. Mop up and patrolling continues around the Deadwood Reservoir and along Road 510. After rains begin, crews will be patrolling the southern end of Road 555 and Highway 17 for flooding.

The Community Meeting tonight is CANCELLED due to possible inclement weather.  There will be a community meeting Friday, September 13, at 6 p.m. at the White Barn Building, near 85 Severance Road, Garden Valley, Idaho. 

An updated Boise National Forest Closure Order Number 0402-06-64 is in effect. An interactive forest closure map is available on the Boise National Forest Alerts & Closures website, https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/boise/alerts-notices.

Hunters (whether permitted or not) are not allowed access to these closed areas. 

Highway 21 is closed from the Sourdough Lodge in Lowman to Stanley Lake Road (MP 84 to 126) due to nearby wildfire activity. Only local traffic is allowed between the Sourdough Lodge and Warm Springs Airstrip. There is no public access from the highway to surrounding areas including Grandjean, Bull Trout, Boundary Creek, Cape Horn, or Seafoam. For more information, visit the Idaho Department of Transportation website, https://511.idaho.gov/ 

Wildfires are a No Drone Zone. If you fly, we can’t. Every time a drone is spotted near the fire all aircraft are grounded until we can be sure the drone is clear of this area.  Visit Know Before You Fly, http://knowbeforeyoufly.org. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in effect in the fire area.

Fire Information: 208-992-3045 (8am – 8pm)                                      Email: 2024.middleforkcomplex@firenet.gov 

InciWeb:https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-middle-fork-complex-fire-bulldog-and-nellie

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/people/Middle-Fork-Complex-Fire-Boise-National-Forest/61565022204468

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@2024.middleforkcomplex

Location: South of Sierra Brooks off Bear Valley Rd., Tahoe National Forest

Personnel: 476
 

Start Date: 9/2/2024 @ 2:00 PM Cause: Undetermined
 

Size: 3,323 acres Percent contained: 83%

Thanks to successful containment efforts, Tahoe National Forest resumed command of the Bear Fire as of 7 a.m. today, Sept. 11.

Focus remains on mop up and repair operations in areas impacted by fire suppression in the southeast region of Smithneck Road and the 506 Road. These activities include mitigating long-term environmental impacts and facilitating the restoration of the affected landscape. Crews continue to build containment and mop up into the fire footprint to expand the buffer zone. Sections of the operation area have transitioned to patrol status, indicating significant progress in containment.

A change in weather is expected for Wednesday afternoon, with a cold front bringing gusty south to southwest winds with gusts up to 30-35mph. Cooler conditions are expected, with temperatures dropping 10-12 degrees below seasonal averages with near freezing temperatures in the valley and drainage areas. The Sierra Valley area remains out of the red flag warning zone, but crews are prepared for windy conditions on the fire line.

Several evacuation zones have been downgraded to normal status. An evacuation order remains within the fire perimeter, and the area is inaccessible to the public. Forest closures and evacuation orders remain in place to safeguard both the public and fire crew members. Any unauthorized entry into these restricted areas is strictly forbidden.

WEATHER:
Wind speeds are expected to increase as a cold front arrives Wednesday afternoon. Gusty winds of 30-35 mph are expected today, with temperatures dropping 10-12 degrees below the season average in valley and drainage areas.

Bear Fire Information Map for 9-11-24

Wed, 09/11/2024 - 12:20

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Bear Fire Information Map for 9-11-24

Unified Command: CIIMT5, Los Angeles County Fire, Los Angeles County Sheriff, San Bernardino County Fire, CAL FIRE – San Bernardino/Inyo/Mono Unit

Location: Sheep Mountain Wilderness, Northeast of Glendora, CA

Fire Size: 47,904 acres

Percent Contained: 0% 

Personnel: 471

Cause: Under investigation

Start Date: Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 2:12 p.m.
 

CURRENT SITUATION: Last night, the Bridge Fire continued to exhibit extreme fire behavior as it increased over 13,000 acres mainly on the north and east flanks. The top priority for firefighters remained in structure protection and defense within the communities of Wrightwood, Pinon Hills and Mount Baldy. 

Numerous structures in the Wrightwood area have been impacted by the fire, with damage to power infrastructure reported. Once it is safe for damage assessment teams to evaluate, confirmed numbers will be released. Mountain High West and East Ski Resort were also affected by fire activity.

On the south end, the fire jumped Glendora Ridge Road up to Sunset Peak, which was highly visible at night from the inland cities below.

Despite the extreme fire behavior, lack of resources, and challenges firefighters had, they successfully defended homes, and no communication towers went down. Firefighters held the lines they had west of Mount Baldy Road, and they continued to prioritize securing contingency lines to the south. By the public heeding evacuations, firefighters were able to get in and engage in the structure defense they needed to.

As the fire continues to head into receptive fuels with little to no fire history, it could get established into drainages and have slope alignment, leading to the potential for large energy release that could create plume-driven fire behavior and column collapses which may send spot fires out ahead of the fire’s direction.

There have been no changes in evacuations since last night.

 Evacuation Orders:

• Pinion Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 18 and Beekley Road west to LA County.
• Lone Pine Canyon from the community of Wrightwood to Hwy 138/Lone Pine Canyon Road south to the forest.
• Entire community of Wrightwood.
• East Fork communities of Camp Williams Resort (café, mobile home park, campground) and River Community (near the resort). 
• Mt. Baldy Road, all residents north of the San Antonio Dam up to the Mt. Baldy Resort.

  Evacuation warnings: 

• San Antonio Heights and Upland from the foothills south to 23rd Street.
• Pinion Hills from Wrightwood north to Highway 138 and Lebec Road west to Los Angeles County.

  Evacuation Centers:

• San Bernardino County Fairgrounds: 14800 Seventh Street, Victorville, CA 92392
• Jessie Turner Health and Fitness Community Center: 15556 Summit Ave, Fontana, CA 92336. Call (909) 854-5100
• Pomona Fairplex: 601 W McKinley Avenue 
Pomona, CA 91768 (Enter Gate 3, corner of McKinley and White)
• Animals: 
  • Devore Animal Shelter: 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino, CA 92407. Call (909) 386-9820, or after hours: (800) 472-5609
  • Palmdale Animal Care Center (Small Animals): 38550 Sierra Hwy, Palmdale, CA 93550
  • Lancaster Animal Care Center (Small Animals): 5210 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536
  • Antelope Valley Fairgrounds (Large Animals): 2551 W Avenue H, Lancaster, CA 93536. Call 562-706-8581 prior to arrival.

For more information on shelters, visit:

• www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/find-an-open-shelter.html
• https://lacounty.gov/emergency/

CLOSURES: 

• SR-138 from Lone Pine Canyon Road to Beekley Road
• SR-2 closed from Big Pines to SR-138.
• San Gabriel Canyon and East Fork of the San Gabriel River
• Highway 39
• East Fork Road
• Glendora Ridge Road
• Glendora Mountain Road
• Mt. Baldy Road at Shinn Road intersection 
   

WEATHER: 

With the massive expansion in acreage of this fire, there are now three forecast zones for weather effects on fire behavior. An excessive heat and Red Flag warning will continue until 12 p.m. today. 

On the south end of the fire, temperatures will be high, however humidity will improve and increase from 15 to 30 percent with a coastal influence. Winds will switch from west to the northwest at the higher elevations, gusting from 15-25 mph.

On the southeast corner of the fire, the northwest winds will test containment efforts.

To the north in the valley floor and desert areas, higher temperatures and lower humidity is expected as winds will push easterly in the afternoon.

Large vertical plume growth and visible smoke columns will be expected again today for this fire. For information on smoke impacts and an interactive map, visit fire.airnow.gov.

Northwest Team 12

Whisky Creek, Sandstone and Blister Creek Fires

Sept. 11, 2024

Fire Information: (541) 208-1743, 8 AM - 8 PM

For links to incident information: https://linktr.ee/whisky_creek.2024

Whisky Creek Size: 3,047 acres | Start Date: July 20 | Cause: Human | Containment: 25%

Sandstone Size: 702 acres | Start Date: August 5 | Cause: Lightning | Containment 75%

Total Resources: 295 | Hand Crews: 4 | Engines: 7 | Dozers: 2 | Heavy Equipment: 11 | Helicopters: 1

The Whisky Creek, Sandstone, and Blister Creek Fires are in steep and rugged terrain on the Mt. Hood National Forest where rolling debris and fire-weakened trees challenge firefighting efforts. Much work has been accomplished on these fires, and there is a high probability of success in confining the fire within the current footprint. Minimal growth is anticipated given the forecasted weather conditions. 

Today is Northwest Team 12’s last day assigned to the fire. The team would like to thank the local community for hosting our Incident Command Post and supporting our efforts. A local Type 3 team will be taking responsibility for the Whisky Creek Fire while the Sandstone and Blister Creek Fires will be transitioning to a local Type 4 organization.

Whisky Creek: The fire grew minimally yesterday with the most activity on the south flank in the headwaters of Herman Creek. Firefighters filled portable water tanks by pumping water from Wahtum Lake up the hose lay along the southeast flank. Grading continued near Green Point Reservoir and heavy equipment completed dozer line repair between Forest Service Road (FSR) 2820 and FSR 630. A resource advisor will be inspecting fire suppression repair work tomorrow. Rain in the forecast will quiet fire activity, but smoke from smoldering heavy fuels will persist.

Sandstone and Blister Creek: Several new smokes appeared within the eastern perimeter of the Sandstone Fire yesterday. Firefighters found smoldering stump holes close to the fireline, and mopped up these smokes to eliminate any threat to established containment lines. Additional smoke may be present as interior fuels continue to smolder. Tomorrow, heavy equipment will continue to work on FSR 7015 as well as repairing dozer lines and hand lines. 

Weather: A wetter weather system has moved in with rain expected across the area, as well as cooler temperatures and gusty west/southwest winds. This system will exit the area on Thursday. For smoke forecasts and safety, visit: oregonsmoke.org.

Closures: Area closures will remain in the Mt. Hood National Forest, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Hood River County. Closures are put into place for the safety of the public and fire crews; intrusion into a closure area can disrupt fire suppression and repair activities, endanger lives and property, and can result in fines. Closure information is at: https://linktr.ee/whisky_creek.2024. 

Safety: The public plays an important role in preventing the next wildfire; please use caution with all potential ignition sources. For prevention tips see: https://keeporegongreen.org. The Temporary Flight Restriction remains in effect for the Whisky Fire: https://tinyurl.com/2s49yrj4. Fire restrictions are in place on the Mt. Hood National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mthood/fire. 

Shoe Fly Fire holds within fireline, mop up continues

MITCHELL, Ore. – Firefighters took a moment this morning during briefing to reflect on lives lost as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001.

Firelines on the Shoe Fly Fire were tested Tuesday by steady winds. Lines held and the fire remained in the existing footprint. Increased acreage today is not due to perimeter growth, but is the result of better mapping, data collection and burning inside the fireline. Hard work put in by firefighters and landowners has increased containment to 41%. 

Mop up continues across all areas of the fire. In the northwest portion of the incident, crews have reached 300 feet into the interior of the fire and are mitigating hazard trees and patrolling the area. In the southeast, mop up has progressed to 200 feet. In the northeast and southwest parts of the fire, where fire had been active most recently, mop up ranges from 50 feet to 100 feet. 

Operational Video for the Chimney Fire

Facebook Link: 

OLA, Idaho, September 11, 2024 – The Lava Fire continued to exhibit highly active behavior yesterday. On Monday, September 9th, the Lava Fire merged with the Boulder Fire for a combined acreage of 78,457 acres. Yesterday morning, the Southern Area Red Team, a Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT), was in-briefed by Wyoming Team 6, the type 3 team currently managing the Lava Fire. The Southern Area Red CIMT will take command of the fire on Thursday morning.

Last night and into the early morning, crews continued fire suppression and structure protection efforts. The fire continued growing to the north, northwest, west and south and multiple slop-overs occurred at the western and southern perimeters of the fire. A “slop-over” is a fire edge that crosses a control line or natural barrier intended to confine the fire. Crews are suppressing slop-overs primarily using direct dozer line and aerial resources. Fireline construction efforts will continue tomorrow, and a secondary control line will be constructed along the southern perimeter as fire and wind conditions allow. Firefighters use all available strategies and tools to suppress wildfires, and public and firefighter safety are the top priorities for fire managers.

Showers and storms are predicted for most of Wednesday, particularly in the afternoon. Scattered lightning and wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour are possible near storms. Small hail is possible and brief, heavy rains on fresh burns pose a flash flood and debris flow risk. Thunderstorms are expected to weaken Wednesday night and chances of wetting rain increase through Thursday.

Gem County Sheriff’s Office issued LEVEL 3 “GO!” Evacuation notices to residents on Third Fork Road (North of Nesbitt Lane), Second Fork Road (North of Nesbitt Lane), and the Sage Hen Reservoir area. Gem County Sheriff’s Office notified the residences in person on September 8th, 2024. A LEVEL 2 “SET” Evacuation has been issued for Nesbitt Lane residents.

Gem County Road and Bridge issued the following road closures: Third Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, Second Fork Road at Nesbitt Lane, and Nesbitt Lane. The Sweet-Ola Highway is closed at the High Valley intersection in Ola. Please be advised that the Gem County Sheriff’s Office is staffing the road closure check points.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office issued LEVEL 3 “GO!” Evacuation notices to residents south of South Grays Creek and along Little Weiser Road in Indian Valley. A LEVEL 2 “SET” Evacuation has been issued for residents North of South Grays Creek Road to Highway 95, and a LEVEL 1 “READY” Evacuation has been issued for the Mesa area.

The Boise and Payette National Forests implemented a joint Lava and Boulder Fire Area, Road, and Trail Closure for public and firefighter safety. The closure includes Forest Service lands north of the 601 Road (approximately 7 miles southwest of Smiths Ferry) and north all the way to the northernmost extent of Lake Cascade. This expanded closure order supersedes previous closure orders for the Lava and Boulder fires. Visit the Lava Fire InciWeb page at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/idbof-lava-fire for more information.

For other news, events and information, visit the Boise National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/boise and follow the Boise on Facebook @BoiseNationalForest.

Williams Mine Fire Update for Wednesday, September 11, 2024 

Tuesday was another quiet day on the Williams Mine Fire, despite sunshine and periods with low relative humidity. The main area of concern, in the Morrison Creek drainage west of the South Climb Trailhead, showed minimal growth. Fire personnel continued to patrol and mop up on the fire’s edges, and worked on repairing damage caused by the suppression efforts.

Last night brought a change in the weather. Cooler temperatures are forecast for several days. Clouds rolled in and a few areas near the fire received showers overnight. Light rain is expected to continue off and on today, with a 50% chance of getting a “wetting rain”. While this will make the fire activity decrease, it will not extinguish the fire.

A “wetting rain” is one capable of making fuels wet enough to not be easy to ignite. Locally, it is defined as 0.25” of rain, but the actual effectiveness of the rain will vary with the amount of canopy and types of fuels. In areas under green trees, more of the precipitation will be intercepted by the foliage and not reach the ground fuels. In the burn scars with few green trees, less of the rain will be captured by foliage, but more of the fuels are snags, large logs, and stumps. These larger fuels will take weeks to soak up enough moisture to become too wet to burn.

Much of the rapid growth on Williams Mine Fire was during periods when the wind carried embers far ahead of the main fire, where they ignited dry fuels and caused spot fires. This has been a concern for the area along South Climb Trail. A wetting rain will make fuels east of this area resistant to ignition, reducing chances of further spread.

There is a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, which could bring lightning, gusty and erratic winds, and periods of heavy rain. Fire managers will be monitoring for any signs of thunderstorms in the vicinity and will move firefighters to safe locations if necessary.

SAFETY AND CLOSURES: 

With the return of rain, expect roads to be slick from the accumulation of oil and dirt during dry weather. Slow down and allow more following distance between vehicles.

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Tract D Recreation Area is currently closed, please see Yakama Tract D Road Closure for more information. FS Rd 23 south of FS Rd 90 is still CLOSED to the public due to fire suppression activity. Takhlakh Lake is still closed. The revised closure for the Mt. Adams Wilderness and FS Rd 23 closure can be found at Williams Mine Fire: Area and Road Closure. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is closed from the PCT's intersection with FS Rd 23 to Potato Hill. The current area closure spans the entire Mt. Adams Wilderness.

Northern Rockies Team 5, Incident Commander Joe Sampson  

Location:3 miles south of Springer Memorial Community, in the East Fork 

Start Date: 7/25/2024      

Cause: Lightning       

Size: 6,662 Acres    

Completion: 25%

Total Personnel: 238  

Engines: 14               

Hand Crews: 3           

Heavy Equipment: 1   

Helicopters: 2    

Current Status 

The majority of the fire's heat is on the southern edge, near Swift Creek. These areas of isolated heat and are not causing widespread fire movement. There are a few islands of unburned vegetation burning on the northern edge of the fire, but they aren't likely to have a large impact on the fire's perimeter growth. 

Crews are placing hose lays and other water handling equipment along the fire's northern edge. This will assist in preventing the fire's spread north. Crews are extinguishing areas of heat along the fire's western perimeter. Firefighters will continue to add hose lays near the community of Springer Memorial and the homes around Bonanza Drive. However, due to current and expected wind direction, the fire is pushing back into itself rather than making forward progress in the area. Firefighters will work to hold the fire to the 5771 road and construct fireline from Swift Creek to the 73615 Road.   

Weather and Fire Behavior 

A low-pressure system (trough) from the west should help disperse smoke within the Bitterroot Valley today. This trough will likely bring cooler temperatures and raise relative humidities within the fire area by tonight. During the day it will likely remain hot, dry, and windy with southwest wind gusts up to 25 mph. By tomorrow, wetting rain should hit the fire area, slowing fire growth. 

EVACUATIONS, RESTRICTIONS, CLOSURES  

The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has issued an Evacuation Warning for Frog Pond Basin and Little East Fork Road. Sign up for evacuation alerts at http://hyper-reach.com/mtravallisignup.html 

Area closures are in effect for both sides of the East Fork Road, the East Fork Guard Station, Martin Creek Campground, and a multitude of trailheads. More information on Bitterroot National Forest area closures can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/bitterroot/alerts-notices 

The Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness within the Bitterroot National Forest is currently in Stage I Fire restrictions.